To ensure nutritional intake and reduce the occurrence of diet-related diseases, it is urgent to promote a healthy diet. At present, short video apps with information dissemination, social interaction, and online shopping are widely used, which have changed the way people obtain and exchange information, and the way of life and consumption. Exploring whether short video app use can affect food consumption choices offers new insights for promoting dietary transformation among residents. Based on the first-hand micro-survey data of 2,000 rural households across 100 villages in 5 Chinese provinces in 2023, this study examines the effects of short video app use on rural household food consumption. The results show that short video app use can increase households’ per capita food consumption and dietary diversity, mainly by raising consumption of aquatic products, fruits, poultry, pork and soybeans, but it does not improve households’ food health index. Short video app use promotes dietary diversity mainly by improving nutrition awareness. Its positive effect on dietary diversity is stronger among high-income groups. It also improves dietary diversity in villages that have express delivery points, but lack food markets and are remotely located. Short video app use can help improve nutrition awareness and to a certain extent, reduce the impact of location and supporting facilities on food access.